ZME Science has a post that will definitely make you want to consider geology as a career. It's filled with stunning photos from mountains to fossils to minerals. It makes me want to go back to school! Check a few examples from the article below, but don't miss the full article.
This is sand; what, don’t tell me you thought sand was just rocks, right? In many places of the world, sand is actually just made of the shells or shell fragments of many tiny creatures.
Most geologic field trips look like this. A knowledgeable professor who enjoys his work will happily show awesome sites in your area, and you’ll actually learn in these awesome places. Here, we see renowned naturalist Ben Gadd presenting an outcrop with some sedimentary layers (strata).
Fossils! What would geology be without fossils? While the field of geology that deals strictly with fossils is called paleontology, most fields, at some point, deal with them. I was actually lucky enough to find one in my very first field trip as a student. As much as I’ll cherish it and the memory that accompanies it, finding a fossil is nothing special if you’re a geologist (unless it’s a very special one, like what we see above). This is a fuxhianhuiid, a primitive creature that had limbs under its head. More about this finding here.
The Flatirons consist of conglomerate sandstone of the Fountain Formation. Geologists estimate the age of these rocks as 290 to 296 million years, but they were only elevated 35-80 million years ago, during what is called the Laramidic orogeny.
Geology is all about rocks, and most rocks are made from crystals. Personally, I’m not really that thrilled when I see a diamond or a ruby, polished and put into a ring or necklace, but something like this… just makes me go ‘Wow!’.
